Books - tips & reviews

[SvAF/F19_Klunk]

I know there are a lot of history buffs in here.. let us know your best recommendations!...

 

 

Samurai

by Martin Caiden (Saburu Sakai ?)

Autobiographical

 

(I put a questionmark after Sakai's name, as there has been a lot of talk about how much he actually contributed to the actual book, and wheather he got royalities for the book or not.)

"Samurai" is really a nice read. Not only does it give a "first hand testimonial" from the airwar in the Pacific, it is intense and dramatic and Sakai lets us in into his own thoughts of the war, both during and after - politics, tactics, emotions and whatnot. For example he expresses his deepest admiration for ally pilots during the first part of the war, for their tactics, commitment, perseverence and courage when they flew, as he condiders it anyway, much less capable airplanes.. Top notch entertainment and a quick read if you can get a hold of a copy. Hard to find.

 

 

Red Star Against the Swastika: The Story of a Soviet Pilot over the Eastern Front

by Vasily B Emelianenko

Autobiographical

 

I read this a few summers ago; "Red Star Against the Swastika: The Story of a Soviet Pilot over the Eastern Front" by Vasily B Emelianenko - one of very few surviving pilots who flew the IL2. The langage is a bit crude. I think the translator must have been Russian - but as someone wrote in a review; if you read it and imagine the text beeing read by an old russian with a heavy accent, then it is very entertaing.

I have to confess I enjoyed it immensly, even if it is a bit incoherent from time to time. But that is OK for me. One can say that it is written the same way as the old geezer would have told it in person verbally; incoherent, lots of emotion and commitment. Highly recommendable I would say.

 

Just a reflection. When reading the details of the air war in both these book, the way the pilots flew, tactics, stupid mistakes, "killing blindness" - it amazed me how similar it is to how we fly online on IL2. The same mistakes as we do, they did as well. In "Red Star Against the Swastika" you can e.g read how an IL2 pilot stood pale in his face next to his IL2 which had crashlanded on an friendly airbase, telling the author (fellow IL2 pilot) that 2 "Messers" followed him back to base and continued shooting even as he landed on the base.... rings a bell? Vasily asks him "but what about the AAA?". "Can you see any here" the chocked pilots answers. Then they discuss why the Ishkas can't escort them - instead these fighters take off in the backgound with bombs, attacking the same targets as the IL2's, in this case German ponton bridges outside Smolensk.... again.. rings a bell? "where is our escort"

 

This is a great book to read as we are approaching the pre-release of BoS

 

 

War in a stringbag

by Charles Lamb

Autobiographical

 

Do you like crapplanes? Do you like to read about immensly brave men who piloted (and gunned) hugely obsolete airplanes - who flew these biplanes with a bug fueltank wide open in the extra seat? This is the memoirs of one of these extraordinary men; Charles Lamb - a young Fleet Air Arm pilot who flew the Swordfish during the war. He first handedly experienced the sinking of HMS Courageous early in the war (he was the last to land on her - there is even a photo of this landing in the book), he dropped mines in German ship lanes, participated in the Taranto raid and other missions in the Med. I won't tell you TOO much, but this is indeed a VERY good read, written by the man himself.

 

 

A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II [Kindle Edition]

by Adam Makos, Larry Alexander

 

This is the book I am reading right now. Have you heard the story about the Luftwaffe pilot who escorted a B17 to safety? Yeah, it is a true story and this is the book you should read about it. I am hooked!

 

 

PS. don't get a Kindle.. you will end up as me.. buying too much..too easily

Edited September 23, 2013 by F19_Klunk

[6./ZG26_Emil]

Robert Shaw's Fighter Combat

[HeavyCavalrySgt]

I am re-reading Jim Doyle's "Flying Through Time".  He takes his Stearman to all the bases it was assigned to during the war, meeting veterans that learned to fly in it and similar planes, giving them rides and collecting their stories.  Interwoven with that is his own story of flying a then-60-year-old biplane across the country.

 

Interestingly he says that to a man, these guys are still excellent pilots.

[6S.Manu]

This one is still my favorite, at the same level of the famous "The Big Show" by Clostermann.

 

There are few dogfights and it's mostly about ground operations, but I love it.

 

And of course the best of all:

But it's really expensive.
 

Edited September 23, 2013 by 6S.Manu

[Volkoff]

If one can find a copy for a reasonable price, I would recommend, "Zero," by Masatake Okumiya and Jiro Horikoshi.  MJ

Edited September 23, 2013 by =69.GIAP=MIKHA

[HeavyCavalrySgt]

If one can find a copy for a reasonable price, I would recommend, "Zero," by Masatake Okumiya and Jiro Horikoshi.  MJ

 

Thanks for that - $9 on Kindle!

[SYN_Ricky]

In the personal accounts/memories category:

 

Eino Luukkanen - Fighter Over Finland

 

Steinhoff - Messerschmitts over Sicily

 

Ronald H. Foster - Focus On Europe.It's a reconnaissance Mosquito pilot's perspective

 

Derek L. Stevenson - Five crashes later. He was a Hurribomber and Typhoon pilot, I had the chance to meet him twice before he passed away a few years ago.

 

Raymond Lallemant - Rendez-vous avec la chance. He was a Belgian Typhoon pilot

 

The war diary of Helmut Lipfert.

 

And of course as already mentioned above Clostermann's Big Show is a classic.

Edited September 23, 2013 by SYN_Ricky

[Volkoff]

Thanks for that - $9 on Kindle!

 

You are very welcome, Sir! I hope you enjoy it.   MJ

[Rip]

I enjoyed reading JG26 - Top Guns of the Luftwaffe by Donald L. Caldwell. I guess I'll have to dig it up again.

[MackStones]

Lots of good choices.  I've got almost all of those (A Pair of Aces is a favorite - but expensive).  

 

I also like Dmitriy Loza's Attack of the Airacobras, which doesn't get much press but was an excellent read.  

 

Also see this thread for Stalingrad-related reading:

 

http://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/1174-bos-required-reading-list/

 

P.S.-  Hi, Klunk.

[SvAF/F19_Klunk]

Thanks for that - $9 on Kindle!

kindle is eeeeevil!!!!

 

Lots of good choices.  I've got almost all of those (A Pair of Aces is a favorite - but expensive).  

 

I also like Dmitriy Loza's Attack of the Airacobras, which doesn't get much press but was an excellent read.  

 

Also see this thread for Stalingrad-related reading:

 

http://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/1174-bos-required-reading-list/

 

P.S.-  Hi, Klunk.

 

hey Mate!! 

[SvAF/F19_Klunk]

As a "virtual" F19 volunteer I of course have to recommend this great book about F19; the Swedish volunteer unit during the Winterwar in Finland.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gloster-Gladiator-Hawker-Hart-Voluntary/dp/9197767719/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380030504&sr=1-7&keywords=Mikael+Forslund

[DB605]

Double fighter knight by Ilmari juutilainen, top non-luftwaffe ace with 94 victories. Definitely worth of reading.

 

Edit, i have only read the original finnish version and tought they were same but it seems that some of content have been cut off from english version. Still probably good read

Edited September 24, 2013 by DB605

[BMW801]

One of my favorite books is "Wings of the Luftwaffe" by Eric Brown. He flys all of the captured German aircraft and discusses his findings and impressions in detail. I enjoy his writing style, and it is interesting to hear comparisons between the aircraft from someone who tested them all.

[LLv44_Mprhead]

I enjoyed reading JG26 - Top Guns of the Luftwaffe by Donald L. Caldwell. I guess I'll have to dig it up again.

I just finished that one. It was interesting read and I would recommend it to those who have not read it yet.

[II./JG27_Rich]

In Pursuit: A Pilot's Guide To Online Combat. Lots of fun to read.

 

http://www.amazon.com/In-Pursuit-Pilots-Online-Combat/dp/9197607703

 

http://www.virtualpilots.fi/feature/lento_ohjeet/inpursuit/inpursuit.pdf

Edited September 29, 2013 by II./JG27Richie

[SvAF/F19_Klunk]

A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II [Kindle Edition]

by Adam Makos, Larry Alexander

 

This is the book I am reading right now. Have you heard the story about the Luftwaffe pilot who escorted a B17 to safety? Yeah, it is a true story and this is the book you should read about it. I am hooked!

 

 

PS. don't get a Kindle.. you will end up as me.. buying too much..too easily

 

 

 

http://youtu.be/nNmypZ9lv94

 

 

I have now finished Reading this one and to me it was a brilliant read.

 

I would have thought that the American author would have divided the content equally beween Franz Stigler and Charlie Brown but the main character is without a doubt Stigler.

 

Before Reading this book I knew very little about him at all. All  I really knew  was that he indeed spared a wrecked B17 and escorted it through German flak stations, at low alt over the "safety" of the North Sea sea.

 

What I didn't know was that he was a German ace who saw combat with JG27 in Africa, Crete, over Germany and was also a part of the famous JV44. He was Barkhorn's first flight instructor, knew Galland, Steinfhoff, Krupinski, Lutzow, Rödel, Neumann, Trautloft  et al very well. So we really get to know these pilots as well, including some famous "incidents" such as  the "Fighter Pilots Conspiracy", Steinhoff's crash etc.

 

The now so famous encounter between the 109 and the B17 is but a small part of the book, as is the relationship between Charlie and Franz  after the war, but is it a glue that keep the book together.

I can only but highly recommend this book to anyone who not only want to read about Sigler's escort of the B17, but also want to get to know Franz, his wartime experience, his relationship with some of the most famous German pilots of WWII and his reflections of it al.

 

Have a sneakpeak of the book:

 

 

Now; the next one to read: "ZERO!"

Edited October 22, 2013 by F19_Klunk

[SvAF/F19_Klunk]

This upcoming book looks interesting does it not.. escpecially for us

 

 

 

 

Release december 2013

Edited October 22, 2013 by F19_Klunk

[MarcoRossolini]

Those looking for Soviet Accounts might be interested in this website: http://english.iremember.ru/

 

Not precisely a book obviously but there are some amazing stories from all branches of the RKKA and VVS etc.

[FlatSpinMan]

That Stalingrad one looks really good.

[SvAF/F19_Klunk]

new books anyone?

[216th_Lucas_From_Hell]

Only in Russian, Klunk. Got some ten books lined up for reading but none in English to recommend.

[CanadaOne]

Anything by Anthony Beevor or Alistair Horne.

 

"Crete" by the former and "The Price of Glory" by the latter.

 

The Price of Glory is an astonishingly good book about the Battle of Verdun in 1916.

[JG4_Sputnik]

Erich Hartmann's and Ulrich Rudel's war diaries.

And yes, get a kindle, you get tons of good books for under 10$